Dispenser



Patented Jan.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSER Louis R. Benedict, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application September 17, 1946, Serial No. 697,495

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to dispensers, and more particularly, to dispensers for table salt, pepper yand similar materials.

Various attempts have heretofore been made to provide dispensers which will permit of a free ilow of the salt, or other materials required for seasoning, but none of those heretofore available have proven entirely satisfactory.

In accordance with the present invention, a `dispenser is provided which is particularly useful for dispensing salt and the like which will be `simple in construction and which may be used with containers of the types at present in common use.

It is a further object of the present invention 'to provide a dispenser for salt, pepper, and the ilike, which will normally be sealed between delivery operations.

It is a further object of the present invention `to provide a dispenser which is normally sealed, ,but which may be readily and easily operated to `permit of the delivery of the desired solid, granular or pulverized materials.

It is a further object of the present invention `,to provide a dispenser for salt, pepper, and the like, in which provision is made for automatically vcleaning the dispensing openings, and for freeing the samerof any of the powdered or pulverized material which may be disposed in said openings.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dispenser of the character aforesaid `which will be simple in construction and free from .likelihood of injury or damage in use.

Other advantageous features will be apparent from the speciiication and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a dispenser in accordance with the present invention positioned on the upper portion of a container;

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the dispenser, parts being broken away to show certain details of the construction; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawing herein are illustrative imerely, and that various modifications and changes may be made in the structure disclosed `without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, the dispenser, in accordance with the present invention, preferably includes a hollow cylindrical body 5 having an internally threaded portion 6 at the lower end thereof for engagement with the complementally threaded upper portion l of a container B. The body 5 is preferably formed from any desired material, such as metal or synthetic plastic material. Spaced downwardly from the upper edge of the casing 5 a horizontal plate 9 is provided.. The plate 9 is fixedly secured in the casing 5 in any desired manner. Immediately below the plate 9 a plurality of dispensing openings l E are provided in a part of the side wall of the casing 5, for the discharge of a portion of the contents of the container 8, as will be hereinafter explained more fully.

A laterally movable bar I I is supported on the plate 9 and has a portion I2 which normally extends outwardly beyond the side wall of the body 5. At the other end of the bar II a curved frame I3 is provided, conforming in shape to the exterior of the casing 5, and provided with a plurality of inwardly extending tines I4 which are normally disposed in the dispensing openings I0 in the casing 5 and project inwardly therethrough. The bar II is normally retracted by springs I5 which are inserted at their inner ends in slots I6 in the bar I I and have their outer ends curved and bearing on the interior surface of the casing 5. The projecting end portion I2 of the bar II is bent and formed to provide an operating button or handle I1 which is normally disposed outwardly beyond the exterior wall of the casing 5, but which is adapted to be manually pushed inwardly to a position to move the tines I4 out of the dispensing openings ID thereby to permit the passage of the granular or powdered material, such as salt and the like, outwardly through the openings I0 upon tilting and shaking of the container.

A closure member I8, which iits within the upper portion of the casing 5, is preferably disposed with its upper surface ush with the upper end of the casing 5. The closure member I8 serves to retain the bar II and the springs I5 in position for actuation without binding. When it is desired to use the dispenser, the container -8 on which the same is mounted may be raised, the handle portion Il is then pressed inwardly by one of the operators fingers, and the side openings I0 are freed from the engagement by the tines I4. Upon shaking of the container in a tilted position, with the tines I4 out of engagement with the openings l0 the desired Vamount of granular or powdered material may be delivered, but, upon the release of the handle portion I1, the tines I4 are automatically moved inwardly into position within the openings l0, and the same Will force inwardly any granular material from the openings lil and will clear the same for subsequent use. In this manner, clogging of the openings l0 is effectively prevented and the dispenser maintained in condition for use at al1 times and under varying weather conditions.

It will be noted that by the foregoing arrangement, such of the actuating parts as are not externally disposed where the same` are freelyl pensing powdered materials, such as salt, pepper,

and the like, comprising a container, a cap member on said container, said cap member having a closed chamber separated from and having no communication with the interior of the container, said cap member also having a group of spaced discharge openings below the chamber portion of said cap member in a wall thereof which is disposed on one side of the container when said container is resting on its base but which is disposed at the bottom when the container is turned to the discharging position, a laterally movable member extending through the chamber in the cap member and provided at one end with an external extension having a plurality of tines adapted to penetrate and normally close the aforesaid discharge openings in the side wall of the cap member and at the other end with an externally projecting portion for manualengagement to move the tines out of engagement with saidv discharge openings, a spring disposed in the chamber in the cap member for impelling said laterally movable member to cause the tines thereof to extend into said discharge openings and to close the same, the material in the container being discharged directly through the aforesaid openings when the container is inv the discharging position and the movable member is manually moved to cause the tines to free said openings.

2. A device of the character described for dispensing powdered material, such as salt, pepper, and the like, comprising a container, a cap member detachably mounted on said container, said cap member having a closed chamber at the top thereof which chamber has no communication with the interior of the container, saidhcap member also having a group of spaced discharge openings below the chamber portion of said cap member in a wall thereof which is disposed on one side of the container when said container is resting on its base but which is disposed at the bottom when the container is turned to the discharging position, a laterally movable member the body portioiro-fwhich is disposed in the chamber in said cap member and which is provided with an externally projecting portion on one end having a plurality of tines adapted to penetrate andV normally close the aforesaid discharge openings, a spring also disposed in the chamber in the cap member for impelling said laterally movable member to cause the tines thereof normallyto extend into the aforesaid discharge openings and to close the same, and the laterally movable member having an externally projecting portion at the other end thereof for manual engagement to move the tines out of engagement with said discharge openings thereby to permit the. discharge of the material in the container directly through said openings whenv the container is in the discharging position.

LOUIS R. BENEDICT..

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNLTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 600,262 Hamfeldt Mar. 8, 1898 1,226,759 Edwards May 2,2, 1917 1,238,118` Edmunds Aug. 28, 191,7 1,381,444 Lowry Feb. 17, 1920 1,470,893 sweet oct. 16, 1923 1,494,043 Vogt May 13, 19,24 1,627,781 Kendall May 10, 1927 1,744,358 Brown et al Jan. 21, 1930 1,824,318 wind sept. 22, 19.31 1,888,411 Schilling Nov. 22, 1932 1,980,049 Gainer Nov. 6,1934 

